Handing Down the Faith

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.” 2 Timothy 1:5

In our individualistic age, it has grown more difficult for us to see how each generation influences the next. A contemporary analogy is that of the relay race in which one member passes the baton to the next runner and he to the next until the race is finished. A runner usually takes the baton in his left hand and transfers it to his right as he runs. Similarly, a father first must make sure his faith in his own, not that of his parents or his preacher - if his children are to see genuine Christianity at work.

To win the race, each member must run well. A father’s daily walk with God - trust, prayer, study of the Scriptures, and obedience - must characterize his life. The critical point in a relay is the exchange zone, a set number of meters in which the baton must be passed. A father should begin passing along his faith to his children at an early age, the crucial “exchange zone” during which a child forms the majority of his spiritual and moral character.

Are you passing on the vitality of your faith to your children? If you have been negligent, call on the grace of God that gives you a new chance each and every day.

“...He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children.” Psalm 78:5